New Products

New Products

MITSUBISHI

XD211U, Projector, Hardware, $1,595

This new model from Mitsubishi utilizes a DLP chip with XGA resolution, displays at a brightness of 2,200 lumens, and has an energy efficient lamp that lasts up to 3,000 hours. At just six pounds, the projector is extremely portable, which may cause some security concerns for school administrators. As a result, the XD211U also boasts a useful security feature: a removable control keypad that doubles as a remote. The projector will not operate without the keypad, enabling administrators or teachers to prevent unauthorized use or theft, similar to the removable face of many aftermarket car stereos. A sturdy anchoring hook built into the cabinet also increases security by enabling the unit to be locked to a location. www.mitsubishipresentations.com

ANCHOR AUDIO

Among the new models Anchor Audio debuted at InfoComm this year is the new MiniVox Lite portable public address system. Weighing just 3 pounds, the rechargeable MiniVox is a useful tool for field trips, outdoor activities or impromptu events involving small crowds when a sound system is not available. The Basic Package includes a wired microphone, can connect to an iPod, CD or MP3 player, and is capable of producing up to 109 decibels of clear and intelligible sound. A 16-channel wireless receiver and wireless microphone with a range of up to 250 feet are included in the Deluxe Package. www.anchoraudio.com

LEAPFROG SCHOOL

Tag School Reader, Literacy Tool, Classroom Materials, $275/4-pack

The Tag School Reader is a handheld, stylus-shaped learning tool for beginning readers in pre-K through grade 3. When students press the pen to the pages of specially printed books and materials available from LeapFrog, the Reader provides audio feedback and on-demand reading assistance. Students can touch icons to hear the story read aloud, or a single word to hear correct pronunciation. The activities included focus on core reading skills such as comprehension, vocabulary development, phonics, and phonemic awareness. Each Reader includes headphones for quiet, independent use, a USB cable for downloading content from the included School Connect application software, and one activity storybook.

Rate Your Favorite Products! Now that DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION has named the Readers' Choice Top 100 K12 Products of 2007-08, we're preparing for next year's winners. Use our star rating system to select your favorites from our products database. Visit www.DistrictAdministration.com/products or contact our products editor, Kurt Dyrli, at kdyrli@districtadministration.com.`

FRANKLIN

Speaking Spelling Bee, Handheld Game, Classroom Materials, $99.95

This handheld device from Franklin allows students to compete in a virtual spelling bee, with features including a full slide-out keyboard, three playing modes and multiple diffi culty settings. Just like in a real bee, students can request a word defi nition or origin, or ask to hear a word used in a sentence. The game's memory also includes the entire Merriam-Webster's Intermediate Dictionary and Thesaurus and Rhyming Dictionary, and can be plugged into a television, allowing up to ten players to compete. Intended for ages 8 and up. www.franklin.com

QUARTET

Envi Series, Whiteboards and Bulletin Boards, Hardware, $9.84-$12.84

Presentation materials manufacturer Quartet has just released Envi, a new product line of the first environmentally friendly whiteboards and bulletin boards on the retail market. The boards have earned "Cradle-to-Cradle" certifi cation from environmental design and consulting group McDonough-Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), as they are made from materials which are entirely nontoxic, sustainable and designed to be recycled by the consumer, preventing the creation of landfi ll waste entirely. Envi boards are available in four designs and sizes: an 11" x 17" dry erase board, 11" x 17" and 23" x 17" dry erase monthly planners, a 17" x 23" magnetic combination board, and a 17" x 23" cork bulletin board. The Envi line is widely available in retail stores including Wal-Mart and Staples. www.quartet.com

FARONICS

Insight is a classroom computer management program from Faronics that enables teachers to control all the computers in their classrooms from their own desktop. Students are able to ask questions and get responses from their teacher on their individual computers. Teachers can share their screen with students, control student access to applications and Web sites, view student screens to supervise their activity, and blank student screens to command attention when necessary. The software also includes a classroom voting function and restricts access to games, instant messaging, or unauthorized Web activity, allowing teachers to monitor each student's computer without leaving their own. www.faronics.com

THE TV TEACHER

Alphabet Beats, DVDs, Classroom Materials, $35 each/$64.99 in a set

These DVDs use a method combining singing with repetitive instruction to teach elementary students the written alphabet. In 5-minute segments hosted by "Miss Marnie," each letter chapter uses 8-10 vocabulary words, making it easy to incorporate the videos into any existing alphabet program. Students will also learn about various topics such as body parts, musical instruments, colors, and opposites while they learn letters. The DVDs are available in uppercase or lowercase editions, or in a set of both. www.tvteachervideos.com

ASPEN LEARNING

OpenClassroom Server, Server, Hardware, $1,200

The OpenClassroom Server is an appliance for K12 classroom or computer lab use that combines learning management tools, collaborative software and personal storage space in a self-contained server. Able to support up to 200 students, the server is designed to be easy to set up, use and maintain, and includes a suite of Web 2.0 applications to enable safe, private collaboration on a network using any browserbased device, without requiring an open Internet connection. Features include applications such as wikis, blogs and forums to facilitate collaborative and interactive writing, storage space of up to 750MB per student, and calendar and organizational tools so teachers can manage a wide variety of assignments, activities and content. www.aspenlearning.com

MICROSOFT

Redesigned to be more streamlined and intuitive, the latest edition of Microsoft Office for Mac also emphasizes compatibility with PCs and adds new features like the Elements Gallery user interface, a revamped Toolbox, and a My Day application to help users schedule daily activities and appointments. The suite is available in three editions: the core suite at $399.95 (full) or $239.95 (upgrade), the Special Media Edition at $499.95 (full) or $299.95 (upgrade), and a specially priced Home and Student Edition, with basic productivity programs like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, which retails for $149.95. www.microsoft.com/mac

XEROX

Phaser Series, Printers, Hardware, $279-$1,999

Xerox has just added to its Phaser series printers with five new models, three black-and-white laser printers and two multifunction units. The Phaser 3250 starts at $279, prints up to 30 pages per minute and includes automatic two-sided printing. The 3600, starting at $549, prints up to 40 pages per minute, includes advanced security features and Xerox's CentreWare Internet Service for easy maintenance. And the company's top of the line black-and-white printer, the 5550 ($1,999), features automated tools for easy installation and service and can print up to 50 tabloid-sized, single- or double-sided pages per minute. The 3100MFP, starting at $279, and 3635MFP, starting at $1,799, are multifunction printers that can also copy, scan, fax or e-mail documents. www.xerox.com

3K COMPUTERS

Razorbook 400, Mini Notebook PC, Hardware, $299

3K Computers' new Razorbook 400 is a compact, value-priced mini notebook. Designed for ultimate portability, this model is just over 8 inches in length, weighs less than 2 pounds, uses a durable, reliable solid-state disk, and has a powerefficient architecture to provide longer operating times. Convenient features also include a 400 Mhz processor, 7-inch screen, 512MB of RAM, full-size keyboard, built in Wi-Fi, internal 4GB flash drive, a suite of open source office software, and consumer applications such as games, schedulers, music and movie players, planners and more. www.3kcomputers.com

SNAPSTREAM

Enterprise, TV Search Appliance, Hardware, $6,000-$15,000

A combination of a digital video recorder (DVR) and a search engine, SnapStream enables educators to record thousands of hours of television programming and to search within the recordings for specific topics. Users can watch and record live TV, play and pause live or recorded TV shows, skip commercials, create short clips for e-mailing or burning DVDs, or schedule and manage automatic recordings. Features also include SnapStream Alerts, which sends an e-mail notice whenever a saved keyword or phrase is recorded, and ShowSqueeze, which converts programming to smaller, easier to manage file sizes like Windows Media Video. Four different models are available, which can record between 4 to 10 channels at once, and store a total of between 1,165 and 2,331 hours of video. www.snapstream.com

MAPLESOFT

Maple 12, Math Software, Software/$995

This latest edition of engineering-focused mathematical software Maple adds new features to increase accessibility and ease of use. Necessary operations are now accessible entirely through mouse movements, built-in assistants, tutors, embedded components, and button clicks, saving users time and effort. Maple 12 also signifi cantly increases the software's relevance to engineering, including features like CAD connectivity, dynamic systems modeling tools, new plotting capabilities, and MATLAB code import and translation, all through an interactive point-and-click design. www.maplesoft.com

DEFINED MIND

DM Online is a new Web-based version of Defi ned Mind's music-centered test prep and literacy program, Vocabulary Accelerator01. In the original program, students listen to original, contemporary music that emphasizes hundreds of key academic words, and corresponding workbook exercises test their knowledge and comprehension. DM Online brings this content online and adds new features, including real-time student performance data acquisition and one-step reporting; student, teacher and administrator system access levels; and desktop functions including an MP3 player, lyrics, scoring, dictionary and answer keys. www.defmind.com

PROVO CRAFT

Cricut Expression, Electronic Paper Cutter, Hardware, $499.99

This new model is the largest size electronic cutter in the Cricut series. At 24 inches wide, it allows users to cut shapes and characters from ? inch up to 23 ? inches in width from various materials including paper, cardstock, vinyl, poster board and construction paper. The Cricut Expression uses small, lightweight cartridges instead of heavy manual dies, each one offering thousands of varied shapes that can be cut with the touch of a button. Common applications include classroom d?cor, teaching aids, lesson plans, bulletin boards and creative craft activities. The cutter includes the Accent Essentials sampler shape cartridge and the Plantin SchoolBook font and shape cartridge, which is designed for classroom use. www.provocraft.com